Dan Spang’s goal deep into overtime means Nottingham Panthers are through to Play-Offs Finals weekend after a 5-3 win against Belfast Giants at the Motorpoint Arena.

Trailing 4-3 from the first leg, they went through to a semi-final with Sheffield Steelers on Saturday after coming through 8-7 on aggregate following a thrilling last eight tie.

Panthers led overall for just 30 seconds, but the result means Panthers legends Corey Neilson and David Clarke will stay with the club for one more weekend as they look to sign off with one a final trophy to their names.

Panthers went into the game with Patrick Galbraith in goal again as the home side were backed by a fired up near sold out crowd.

However, they conceded twice in 19 seconds early on to fall 2-0 down on the night and three goals on aggregate.

One more and they were realistically done, but they clung on and battled back into it goals from Mark Derlago and Evan Mosey, the second shorthanded, to made it 2-2 after two periods.

Brett Perlini then scored early in the third to make it 6-6 on aggregate as Panthers seized the momentum.

Yann Sauve put them 4-2 up with 4.44 to go. They lead for only 30 seconds in six periods though as Belfast battled back to take it to overtime.

Belfast looked the more likely, but Spang stole in with 25.7 seconds to go to send Panthers through. It was a fitting finish to a fantastic tie, unless you are a Giants fan or player.

Robert Farmer was harshly called for holding (Image: James Turner)

Panthers looked to start quickly but were on the penalty kill in the first two minutes. Patrick Galbraith made a stunning save to keep it 0-0, but was beaten in unfortunate fashion after 3.01 when Jonathan Ferland’s shot deflected in off a defenceman for a power play goal.

The home side returned to full strength but conceded again at 3.20 through Kevin Raine’s goal, when Galbraith initially saved with his shoulder.

The Giants then hit the bar on a power play as they threatened to put the tie out of reach. Panthers were not deterred and had more than enough chances to get back into in the first period.

However, their finishing fell short and Jackson Whistle performed well in goal.

Corey Neilson’s men could not score on 1.26 of five on three after Luke Pither failed to find a near open goal.

Brett Perlini found Whistle’s pads and Alexander Mokshantsev failed to take a glorious chance.

Galbraith then bailed out Yann Sauve with a big save as Panthers were left with a second period mountain to climb.

David Clarke missed a great chance soon after the restart, but Derlago was on target at 23.07 to make it 2-1 on the night.

Galbraith made another stunning save before Panthers levelled it up on the night with a shorthanded goal.

It came after a poor officiating call as a Giants forward went down with a flourish. Justice was done when Mosey stole the puck from Jim Vandermeer and fired past Whistle at 34.58.

It would have been 3-2 late in the period, but for one of the greatest saves the Motorpoint Arena has ever seen.

Raphael Bussieres exchanges pleasantries (Image: James Turner)

Whistle made the kind of stop which garners hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube and gets retweets around the world, when he dived full length to catch the puck after Pither fired it at what was effectively an open goal.

Panthers made a flying start to the third as Perlini scored a delayed penalty goal from a tight angle after 41.29 to give them the lead on the night.

The home side finally led for the first time in the quarter-final tie with five minutes to go when Sauve smashed in from the blue line on a power play.

The lead lasted 30 seconds though as Vandermeer’s shot took a cruel deflection past Galbraith.

The Panthers netminder saved brilliantly from Riley in overtime before Spang stole in to win it.